Select-A-Candidate

Minnesota Public Radio's website has its Select A Candidate feature again. You answer questions about state and national issues, rate how important each issue is to you, and the website calculates how closely you scored to what the candidates said.

I checked on the Senate race, the Governor's race, my House of Representatives race, and the Attorney General's race. And for every race, the candidate my answers were to closest to was never a Democrat or a Republicans. Rather in each occasion I was closest alligned with the Independence Party candidate.

It is sad because these candidates speak their mind, mostly because they have nothing to lose, but also because they are beholden only to their own beliefs, not to special interests. And of course, they have no chance. But I have yet to vote a straight-party ticket in my 17 years of voting, and it doesn't look like I'll start this year.

I know I'll vote for the Democrat, Amy Klobachar for the US Senate, but I am still undecided on all the other races. I will say this: I do believe this state and country needs a rational and credible third party more than it needs a Democrat governor or legislator.

Click here to see the Select A Candidate website.